How Your Old, Unwanted Items Can Earn You Money

Have clothes in your closet that, let’s be real, you never wear? Kitchen gadgets that are still in their original packaging? I know, me too; that’s why I’m declaring it time to clear the clutter and make money.

Instead of throwing out items we never use, here are ways our old purchases and clothes can make money.

Sell Your Clothes Online

There are multiple well-known, trusted websites where you can sell your clothes. Here are the top ones:

You may get less money from Twice, but it’s a guaranteed way to get rid of clothes. Simply print out a label, send in your goods and (based off the online estimates) have fingers crossed for how much you’ll get in return. Anything they don’t sell, they donate to charity.

As this site is more female oriented, I recommend Tradesy for women selling designer clothing and wedding items, the items that got used once and never again. Biggest perk? Tradesy only keeps 9% of the money per sale.

The site (also predominantly for ladies) allows you to put up clothes for sale online, then Threadflip takes care of selling process for you. You get to keep 80%, of the proceeds from each sale.

Prefer In Person? Sell Your Clothes at Buffalo Exchange

Buffalo Exchange is a great chain of stores for selling and purchasing new & recycled fashion. You can sell your clothes for money or get more dollars in store credit. Simply bring in your clothes into one of their locations; right there and then they’ll make you an offer.
Store credit goes towards purchases at the wide array of unique and constantly incoming clothes at Buffalo Exchange. They’re all over the country, so go to this location link to find one near you.
(If you’re a bit far from one, sending clothes via mail is an option here, as well.)

Buffalo Exchange Tip: Starting in late fall, you can get good money for ugly Christmas sweaters. These holiday sweaters have become a staple for various parties and events, so people always come to Buffalo Exchange in need.

Donate: But Don’t Forget your Tax Receipt!

Donating to proactive organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army is a great course of action, too. Just make sure to get a receipt and save that for April; there are tax deductions for charitable donations.

Sell Your Books

Have school text books? Novels you’ve already read and have simply sitting on the bookshelf? That’s cash sitting there (not literally, but here’s how to make it so!)

You can sell books online via these top platforms:

Amazon:

BookScouter:

This is a scouting website, meaning BookScouter.com will post the amounts of money different companies are offering for books, letting you evaluate the scene to make sure you get the most money possible.

Powell’s Books:

This is prime if you have really good quality books, no old library materials accepted here! Powell’s Books is a set of bookstores (based in Portland, Oregon) pays well for books through PayPal or (for avid bookworms like me) store credit for MORE books.

Get Old Fashioned & Have a Yard Sale.

It had to be said. I like to throw a yard sale or hit a local flea market and try to sell my good before going to an online platform because, this way, you get 100% of the proceeds per sale. Here are a couple tips for maximizing sales at a garage sale:

Make it a one day sale.

Things seems more valuable the less time you’re willing to be out selling them for. If it’s a three day event, it probably sounds like there’s not enough desire to get rid of the items in one.

Place clothes on a rack.

Picking up clothes and holding them up, trying to refold…that makes it more work for the potential buyer. Having clothes hung on a rack makes them seem more attractive and easier to flick through more items.

For Furniture & Odds and Ends Around the House: Craigslist.

You just never know what people are hunting for. I’ve sold everything from old bookshelves and drawers to a used microwave and giant pirate statue. (Yes, there are many niches to be filled and you may have that one statue or random instrument someone’s been wanting.) Here are top tips for posting on Craigslist:

Always post pictures.

Items are far more likely to get sold if there’s an image. People can see exactly what they might buy and imagine putting in their own home.

Do not post item by item.

This can take a very long time, especially if you’re doing a massive clear out. Instead, group like items together and take pictures of them as a group.

Be realistic with value.

If a kitchen appliance makes you sentimental, make sure to factor that out of the equation when listing a Craigslist price. In contrast, just because you never use an item doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t pay for it. Look up market prices online to get a good idea.

For Larger Furniture: Auction it Off.

I was surprised to find that auction’s are still quite a big deal. Also, because people may compete for your item, the asking price can get driven up to far more than you’d charge at a standard garage sale. I recommend a trusted site like AuctionZip to find live and online auctions near you.